'Statement of ambition' Ross Byrne signing announced by Gloucester

Gloucester have pulled off quite a coup by signing Ireland international Ross Byrne from Leinster.

Byrne, 29, has spent the past decade with his home province, accumulating 1,156 points, to become the third highest points scorer of all-time, together with a vast array of trophies in that time.

In his 177 games for the province, he’s played a vital role in their domination of the United Rugby Championship, winning four titles and being named in the Team of the Season twice. In Europe, Byrne has one Champions Cup medal to his name and has finished runner-up a further four times.

The Dubliner has fallen down the Ireland pecking order after 22 caps for his country and feels the time is right to try a new challenge in a new league.

“I’m delighted to have signed with Gloucester Rugby for next season. The club’s exciting ambitions made it an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.

“The team are producing a really great brand of rugby already, and that’s certainly something that drew me to Kingsholm. I’m hoping I can add to that and help the team grow further in the future.

“Having experienced the incredible atmosphere at Kingsholm before, I’m looking forward to getting out there in Cherry & White and challenging myself in one of the most competitive leagues in world rugby.”

The signing of Byrne, whose younger brother Harry is currently at Bristol Bears on a short-term deal, will help offset the disappointment of losing Santiago Carreras to arch-rivals Bath.

Director of Rugby, George Skivington, commented: “Leinster is quite rightly recognised as a breeding ground for lots of quality players, and Ross is one of the best players they’ve produced over the last decade.

“It’s rare to come across someone with so much domestic and international pedigree, and when they do become available, inevitably there’s a lot of interest in them, so it’s a real coup for us.

“Ross’s signing is a real statement of ambition, and we can’t wait for him to get started.”